


Fading

by orphan_account



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: one of the sides dies, someone is v screwed, unsympathetic Thomas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21836248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The sides notice that one of them is fading away. Can they figure out why in time to stop it?
Relationships: Platonic LAMP
Comments: 3
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

Virgil was on his bed one afternoon, almost dozing off when he was very rudely awoken by someone appearing in his room.

  
"Virgil!" Roman sang, holding a poster of Jack Skellington in his hands. "I've come to return this to you."

  
Virgil got off his bed and snatched away the poster. "Roman, you took this? I thought I lost it! I told you that you couldn't borrow it!"

  
Roman nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, but it's so perfect for Halloween and you have so much Halloween stuff in here. I thought maybe you wouldn't miss it, and I really was going to give it back. I was! But then I forgot..."

  
Virgil sighed as he tacked it back up on its rightful place on his wall above his dresser. "Don't even think about taking it again, Princey."

  
Roman whined, "You're no fun, Dr. Gloom. What about...oh! This!"

  
Roman walked over to Virgil's nightstand, where he had a small figurine of Jack Skellington by his lamp. He picked it up with a grin.

  
Virgil dashed over to him and took it away from him. "No, not this either."

  
Roman asked about three more items before Virgil realized something. "Wait, Roman, hold on," Virgil said. "Aren't you getting anxious because you're in my room? Normally you can't be in here for this long."

  
Roman paused as he thought about it. "Whoa, you're right. I feel fine, actually. Maybe I'm getting used to it?"

  
"I don't know," Virgil said. "I wonder if it's just you. Let's see how Logan and Patton feel."

As Logan, Roman, and Patton stood in Virgil's room, Logan was looking at his watch. "It's been five minutes," Logan said. "Normally, that is our limit for how long we can stay in Virgil's room. How does everyone feel? I feel fine, personally."

  
Patton shrugged, smiling. "Me too."

  
Virgil was worried. "This is weird, though, you guys have never been able to stay in here for more than a few minutes without getting anxious and then panicking. What's going on?"  
"I don't know, I'll see what I can find out," Logan said. "Virgil, keep me updated on how you feel each day."

  
Patton was smiling as he said, "This is great, Virge, now we can hang out in your room if we want to!"

  
"Yeah, I guess that's right," Virgil said, nervously fidgeting with his sleeves. His gut told him something was very wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil is starting to fade away, but no one knows why.

Now that Virgil's room was apparently safe for the other sides to visit, Patton and Roman became frequent visitors. Logan checked in with Virgil often on how he was feeling as he tried to find out why the atmosphere of his room had changed. 

It was a couple of weeks later when a new problem arose. Virgil had just woken up and sat down at the kitchen table next to Logan, when Patton handed him a cup of coffee. 

"Thanks, Pat," Virgil said, as he took it. 

Logan furrowed his brows as he said, "Hold on. Virgil, hold up your hand for a moment." 

Virgil looked at him, confused, but held up his left hand. Patton gasped as he did so. 

"Your fingers are transparent at the tips," Logan said. "It's not just your room. This is a more serious issue than I originally thought." 

Patton gently took Virgil's hand in his own as Virgil stared at it, horrified. "Virgil, are you fading?" Patton asked in a small voice. 

"What happens if I fade away completely?" Virgil asked, as he and Patton both looked at Logan with scared faces. 

Logan looked as if he was focusing entirely on maintaining a calm exterior. "If a side completely fades away...I don't think they can come back from that. We have to stop it before you fade away completely." 

Virgil crumbled into Patton's arms as he started to cry. Patton rubbed his back gently, trying to reassure him and ignore the tears on his own face. 

For the next few hours, Patton held Virgil on the couch as Roman sat sadly on the floor. Logan popped up after talking to Thomas. 

"Thomas feels fine, I don't really see a difference in him," Logan said. "I have to go do more research on this."

Roman shook his head. "Can't we make Thomas more anxious? Make him watch a horror movie!" 

Logan said, "That's just a temporary fix, Roman. We need to find out why this is happening in the first place." 

As Logan went back to his room, Virgil was still sad. Patton said, "Hey, let's cheer you up while this is happening at least. Not focus on the sad part. Roman, do you want to put in a movie?" 

Roman nodded, beginning to smile. "Yeah, let's do that." 

As they settled in to watch a movie, Virgil hoped that Logan would find something. But sitting here with a Disney movie and feeling the love from friends was a nice distraction.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil's problem is getting worse. He spends a little time with each side, one on one.

Virgil couldn't sleep anymore. He only kept thinking about the fact that he was fading away. His hands and feet were now entirely transparent. 

He was on the couch at 1 am in the dark when Roman wandered in, wrapped in a blanket. "You're just sitting here in the dark alone? Not doing anything?" Roman asked. 

"That's not true, I'm worrying," Virgil said. 

Roman walked over to the couch and sat next to him. "Logan hasn't found anything, has he? It's been almost a week since you started fading." 

Virgil nodded. "My hands and feet are already gone and it's spreading still." 

Roman looked at Virgil's ghostly hands, not saying anything as he looked worried. 

Virgil said, "I'm scared, Roman. What if we can't stop it?" 

Roman nodded, equally worried. "In case we can't, I need to tell you this. I'm sorry I treated you like shit for a while and that I call you names all the time. I really do think of you as a friend and I care about you. I don't want you to fade away. I'm scared too." 

Virgil nodded, hugging Roman. "I know. It's okay. And as much as I hate it when you steal my cool posters, you're my friend too."

\---------

"I don't know what I'm missing," Logan said a week later. "How far has it gone now?" 

"Up to my elbows and thighs," Virgil said. 

Logan shook his head as he stared hopelessly at the piles of papers strewn across the floor. He looked up at Virgil with a faintly sad expression. "I'm sorry, Virgil," Logan said. "I've failed you." 

"No you haven't," Virgil said, pulling Logan in for a hug. "You never have." 

\--------- 

Virgil sat with Patton on his bed, as his legs and thighs were entirely gone. 

"Maybe it'll stop but if it doesn't," Patton said. "I'm very glad you joined the family. We all love you, Virgil." 

Virgil nodded. "I hate this so much. This isn't fair."

Patton nodded, his voice breaking. "I know, it's not," he said. "I wish we had more time with you. But we'll be okay. Thomas will be okay. I know it."

Virgil nodded. "I know you guys will take care of him. I've been too afraid to talk to him like this." 

Patton said, "We can still do that. What about Deceit or Remus? Do you want to say goodbye to them?" 

Virgil looked up at Patton. "Should I?" 

Patton nodded. "Logan told them what was happening. I think you should." 

Virgil nodded. "Okay. I'll say goodbye. Then we'll talk to Thomas."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil talks to Deceit and Remus, and then finally Thomas. Everything finally comes to light, and the horrible truth is revealed.

Patton came with Virgil as he went to talk to Deceit and Remus. Patton waited at the doorway to give Virgil privacy. 

Deceit and Remus looked Virgil up and down when he walked up to them. "Wow, this is bad," Deceit said. 

"Your ass is gone," Remus said, peering around. 

"Everything but the torso, neck, and head, Remus," Virgil said. "Look, I'm just here to say goodbye I guess. Before I talk to Thomas." 

Remus frowned, looking sad. "You're really fading," he said. 

Virgil nodded. He was nearly knocked over as Remus attacked him with a hug. "I'll miss you," he said. 

Virgil nodded as he rubbed his shoulder. When Remus let go, Deceit hadn't moved. He was never one for hugs. 

"You know, one thing I used to like about you was that you were so blunt," Virgil said. "Can you do that now?" 

Deceit nodded. "If you're fading, it's because your role isn't needed anymore. And yes, it's sad and we'll miss you, but it means that Thomas is okay without you. You don't have to worry about him." 

Virgil nodded. "Thanks." 

Deceit said, "And please do talk to him. I think you need to." 

Virgil nodded. "On my way now. Are you guys coming?" 

Deceit nodded. "We'll watch, yes." 

Virgil turned to Patton and felt Deceit pat his shoulder gently, and he knew that was his silent way of saying goodbye. He felt tears coming up and shoved them down. 

"Let's go, Patton," Virgil said. 

\---------- 

All of the sides appeared in Thomas' living room. Thomas came in from the kitchen and raised an eyebrow. "Wow, everyone?" He asked. 

Then Thomas saw Virgil. He made a face and said, "Aw, Virgil....I'm so sorry." 

Virgil shook his head. "I'm sorry I've been avoiding talking to you. We really tried to stop it. Logan tried everything." 

"I know, he talked to me," Thomas said. 

Deceit elbowed Remus and gave him a look. Remus said, "Thomas, you really don't know why this is happening?" 

Thomas shook his head. "Sorry, I don't. I wish I did."

Deceit shook his head. "He's lying." 

Everyone looked at Deceit. "What?" Patton asked. 

Deceit said, "What are you not telling us, Thomas?" 

Thomas' face changed from innocence and worry to annoyance. "Fine. I'll show you." 

Everyone gasped as Thomas took out a bottle of pills from his pocket. "I started taking anxiety medication 2 months ago and doing therapeutic techniques for anxiety." 

"Why?" Roman asked. 

"To get rid of Virgil," Thomas said, looking Virgil in the eye. 

Everyone began asking questions as Virgil began to sink to the floor, tears streaming down his face. His throat hurt and his heart felt like it was in his stomach. 

"Virgil has been causing me so much anxiety that I was afraid to do anything," Thomas said. "I have been trying to work with him, talk to him, but he wouldn't budge on anything. It was getting out of control. I got tired of it. I want to have a life that I'm not afraid to leave the house, talk to my friends, do something wrong. And since I started taking these pills, I feel a lot better."

Virgil was sobbing on the floor of the stairs as he started to fade away completely. 

"I can't believe you'd do this!" Roman was exclaiming.

"But Virgil, how can you do that?" Patton cried. 

"Virgil, no!" Logan shouted. 

Everyone looked in horror as Virgil had become entirely transparent. He looked up at everyone one last time before he disappeared, turning into mist. 

Patton screamed, crying as he dove to the floor where Virgil had been. Logan stood in shock, holding onto the rail of the stairs to hold himself up. Thomas stared blankly. Roman was shouting expletives in Spanish and Remus in Portuguese. Deceit was staring horrified at the stairwell, his face pale. 

It was over. 

\------------

A month had passed since Virgil had faded away. He hadn't reappeared. Everyone was quiet, depressed. Afraid they'd be next and throwing themselves into their purpose to prove themselves useful. 

Roman called them all to the Imagination one day to show them a new Figment he'd made. 

They all gasped when they saw Virgil, talking to a rabbit in the Imagination Forest. 

Roman shrugged sadly. "It's not really him, it's just a figment. But I've been trying to make him as similar to him as possible. I even moved everything from his old room to one here for him. It's not perfect, but we can still kind of have him here."

Patton nodded, smiling as he hugged Roman. "It's great, Roman. Thank you." 

They walked over to the new version of Virgil to introduce themselves, and to pick up where they left off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't see Thomas as a villain a lot, so I wanted to explore that. Poor Virgil.


End file.
